A Christmas Gift By Kathi Macias

Hey y'all!! This is another of last month's books for bookfun.org and let me tell you it was different!!

                                           *About The Author*

Kathi Macias is a multi-award winning writer who has authored nearly 40 books and ghostwritten several others. A former newspaper columnist and string reporter, Kathi has taught creative and business writing in various venues and has been a guest on many radio and television programs. Kathi is a popular speaker at churches, women’s clubs and retreats, and writers’ conferences. She won the 2008 Member of the Year award from AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association) and was the 2011 Author of the Year from BooksandAuthors.net. Her novel set in China, Red Ink, was named Golden Scrolls 2011 Novel of the Year and was also a Carol Award Finalist; her October 2012 release, Unexpected Christmas Hero, was named 2012 Book of the Year by BookandAuthors.net. She has recently taken the position of Senior Vice President of Acquisitions for Elk Lake Publishing.  Kathi “Easy Writer” Macias lives in Homeland, CA, with her husband.

                                                                                  

                                  *Book Description*

Julie Bennington has felt the need to get out of self pity and do something greater ever since her husband died of a heart attack two years ago. Her kids are in college and no longer truly need her even though they try make it look as if they do. When her mother mentions a teaching position outside a little town in Mexico, Julie thinks it is the perfect answer to her dream...her mother just wishes she had kept her mouth shut. Her children do everything in their power to get her to stay but Julie feels she must do this. Once she gets there, not only is the danger real but she'll encounter something she never expected. Will her kids ever forgive her for putting herself in danger? And in the loneliest places in the forest, will she find someone she never expected to find again? 

Widowed Padre Ramon grieves for his wife ever time he thinks of that tragic day in the jungle. Now, with just him and his daughter left to live on their own, he doesn't question God's sovereignty, he simply wonders what could have happened if he had been there. When Julie arrives in the little town and his daughter loves her new teacher, he has to wonder if this is God's way of helping them move on or just his own loneliness taking the forefront. Will he ever truly get over his beloved wife's death and embrace the future? And when it seems God has given him a new chance at love, can he get her to stay?                                                            

                                                            *What I liked*

This story was so different from the beautiful cover...wow! The cover depicts maybe a western town with a cowboy or something...Definitely not what I expected but a great story just the same! Julie suffers from depression: her husband dying, children starting their own life...she just doesn't understand where she fits until her mother brings up the teaching job. She struggles with not wanting to leave her distraught parents and upset children but decides this is the right thing to do. Then the author leads us into the jungle with Julie and you get gangs, a Mexican pastor, children that hardly speak english, and wild animals. Kathi does a wonderful job of making the area come to life...maybe too wonderful!! Add in some amazing Christian testimonies, new found faith she thought she'd lost, worried parents, and children finally starting to get it...unique and a great story!!

                                                                              *What I didn't like*

Wow. Remember I told you "maybe too wonderful"? Yeah...this story is not for the faint at heart and probably not for younger teens either. This book pictures the very scary side of Mexico, not siestas and enchiladas that is for sure! The other thing you may not like is the price. The book is about 220 pages long so it is a smaller book but is still $13.78 on Amazon. Maybe not what you want to spend. $7.38 for the kindle is a bit more realistic but maybe not all of you read ebooks. Don't let the price stop you from reading the book though! It has what I think is great Christian morals and a definitely unique story line and look into a missionary life.

                                                                                                      *My Rating*

           I give The Christmas Gift...

4 stars!

                         *Why my rating is what it is*

My rating is 4 stars because although this is a fantastic book with great Christian content in it, it also is packed with some pretty realistic, scary stuff! Not something you would want kids under at least 13 to read, unless they are overly mature. 

                                      *Where to buy it*

                                                                             Amazon

                                                      ChristianBook

                                                     Barnes & Noble

                                                     

(The book cover on Barnes and Noble is much more accurate to the story)

                                             Thanks to Bookfun.org for another great book!!

Blessings,

Nicki